Investigation on the temperature-dependent diffusion growth of intermetallic compounds in the Mg-Al-Zn system:Experiment and modeling

With the rapid development of Mg alloys,deeper understanding to the thermodynamic and diffusional kinetic behavior of intermetallic compounds(IMCs)is important for studying the effect of alloying elements to the microstructure evolution.Specially,a systematic quantitative investigation on the diffusional growth of IMCs is of great necessity.However,the works studying the elemental diffusion behaviors of multiple-element IMCs are rare in magnesium alloy systems.The current work takes the ternary Mg-Al-Zn system as research target,and combines the diffusion couple technique,phase stability diagrams,in-situ observation technique and numerical inverse method to investigate the temperature-dependent kinetic coefficients.The parabolic growth constant(PGC)and interdiffusion coefficients for Mg solid-solution phase andγ-Mg_(17)Al_(12),β-Mg_(2)Al_(3),ε-Mg_(23)Al_(30),MgZn_(2),Mg_(2)Zn_(3),τ-Mg_(32)(Zn,Al)49 andφ-Mg_(5)Zn_(2)Al_(2) IMCs in the Mg-Al-Zn alloy system are determined.By comparing the current experimental with calculation results,the rate-controlling factor of the temperature-dependent diffusion growth ofφ,τandεternary IMCs in the Mg-Al-Zn system is further discussed in detail.

Effects of Exogenous Plant Hormones on Growth Status and Secondary Metabolism of Houttuynia cordata Thunb.

[Objectives]To improve the yield and secondary metabolite content of medicinal plants and to further develop and utilize the medicinal and other functions of medicinal plants.[Methods]We used the sterile tissue culture method with Houttuynia cordata Thunb.as the research object.Different concentrations of 1-naphthalene acetic acid(NAA),auxin(indole-3-acetic acid,IAA)and gibberellin acid(GA_(3))were added to the group culture medium of H.cordata to investigate the effects of exogenous plant hormones on plant height,root length,fresh weight,morphological characteristics,four phenolics and 20 volatile compounds.[Results]The results showed that the exogenous plant hormone of 3 mg/L GA_(3)significantly increased plant height by 79.9%over the control;the exogenous plant hormone of 3 mg/L IAA significantly increased root length by 52.6%over the control;and the exogenous plant hormone of 1 mg/L GA_(3)significantly increased fresh weight of single plant by 458.2%over the control.In the treatment group of 1 mg/L NAA,chlorogenic acid content was significantly increased by 52.6%compared with the control;in the treatment group of 1 mg/L IAA,chlorogenic acid,rutin,isodendrin and quercetin content were significantly increased by 109.1%,100.6%,173.8%,and 198.7%compared with the control,respectively;in the treatment of 3 mg/L GA_(3),chlorogenic acid,rutin,isoquercitin,and quercitin content were significantly increased by 65.3%,104.9%,139.0%and 191.2%over the control.In addition,the content of volatile compounds was significantly higher in all H.cordata treated with exogenous plant hormones of 2 mg/L NAA,1 mg/L IAA,and 3 mg/L GA_(3);however,the content of volatile compounds was lower in all of the treatments with 2 mg/L GA_(3).[Conclusions]Different exogenous plant hormones have certain effects on the growth morphology and secondary metabolic content of H.cordata,which provides theoretical basis and technical support for the development and utilization of medicinal plants.

Preparation of CeO_2-Modified Mg(Al)O-Supported Pt–Cu Alloy Catalysts Derived from Hydrotalcite-Like Precursors and Their Catalytic Behavior for Direct Dehydrogenation of Propane

A series of PtCuCeMgAl quintuple hydrotalcite-like compounds with different Ce contents were synthesized by one-pot method. After calcining and reduction, CeO_2-modified Mg(Al)O-supported Pt–Cu alloy catalysts were obtained. To understand the effect of Cu and Ce, the structure and physico-chemistry properties of the catalysts were characterized and analyzed, and the catalytic behaviors were investigated in a direct dehydrogenation of propane to propene. The results show that the Pt^(4+), Cu^(2+), and Ce^(3+) ions can be incorporated into the brucite-like layers and the Ce content significantly affects the interaction strength between Pt and Cu and the dehydrogenation performance of propane. Under the reaction conditions, the highest propane conversion(45%) with 89% selectivity to propene and a 40% propene yield were achieved with a 0.3 wt% Ce-modified PtCu/Mg(Al)O catalyst. The improved catalytic performance is related to the easy formation of Pt–Cu alloy phase, excellent resistance to sintering, and coke deposits of active components modified by CeO_2.

Simple Preparation of Spherical Activated Carbon with Mesoporous Structure from Phenolic Resol and Associated Catalytic Performance in Isobutane Dehydrogenation

This study provides a detailed report on the synthesis of spherical activated carbon with mesoporous structure using a soluble low molecular weight phenolic resol precursor through an ammonium alginate assisted sol–gel method. The effects of calcinating temperature and the addition of CaCO_3 as a pore-enlarging agent on texture structure and catalytic performance in isobutane dehydrogenation to isobutene were investigated. Characterization of N_2 sorption,mechanical strength tests,and optical photographs confirmed that the obtained carbon materials had high mechanical strength,a good degree of sphericity,and a large surface area. Introducing CaCO_3 as a pore-enlarging agent during the preparation process promoted the formation of a mesoporous structure of carbon spheres and evidently increased the surface area and oxygen content,which can improve isobutane conversion and isobutene selectivity of these carbon spheres. The conversion of isobutane reached up to 28% for this spherical activated carbon,and the selectivity of isobutene reached up to 96%. Isobutane conversion increased with an increase in calcination temperature due to an increase in the oxygen content,whereas the selectivity of isobutene decreased due to the slight decrease in the specific surface area.

Microstructure,mechanical property and in vitro biocorrosion behavior of single-phase biodegradable Mg-1.5Zn-0.6Zr alloy

The microstructure,mechanical property,and in vitro biocorrosion behavior of as-cast single-phase biodegradable Mg-1.5Zn-0.6Zr alloy were investigated and compared with a commercial as-cast AZ91D alloy.The results show that the Mg-1.5Zn-0.6Zr alloy had a single-phase solid solution structure,with an average grain size of 34.7±13.1μm.The alloy exhibited ultimate tensile strength of 168±2.0 MPa,yield strength of 83±0.6 MPa,and elongation of 9.1±0.6%.Immersion tests and electrochemical measurements reveal that the alloy displayed lower biocorrosion rate and more uniform corrosion mode than AZ91D in Hank's solution.The elimination of intensive galvanic corrosion reactions and the formation of a much more compact and uniform corrosion film mainly account for the better biocorrosion properties of the Mg-1.5Zn-0.6Zr alloy than AZ91D.

Effect of Bi promoter on the performances of selective oxidation of isobutane to methacrolein over MoVO/AlPO_4 catalysts

The effects of Bi on the catalytic performance of selective oxidation of isobutane to methacrolein over MoVO/AlPO4 catalyst were investigated by XRD, FT-Raman, XPS, UV-vis DRS techniques. The results show that the addition of Bi component into the MoVO/AlPO4 catalyst obviously improves the catalytic performance, and the selectivity to methacrolein can increase from 14.2% to 45.1% with the increase of Bi/V molar ratio from 0 to 1. Combining the characterization results with the reaction evaluation, it is concluded that the catalytic activities of the MoV0.3Bix/AlPO4 catalysts are related to the crystalline phase composition and the dispersion of molybdenum and vanadium oxides species in general, and also to the V5＋/V4＋ molar ratio on the surface in particular.

Effect of chromium interlayer thickness on interfacial thermal conductance across copper/diamond interface

The thermal conductivity of diamond particles reinforced copper matrix composite as an attractive thermal management material is significantly lowered by the non-wetting heterointerface.The paper investigates the heat transport behavior between a 200-nm Cu layer and a single-crystalline diamond substrate inserted by a chromium(Cr)interlayer having a series of thicknesses from 150 nm down to 5 nm.The purpose is to detect the impact of the modifying interlayer thickness on the interfacial thermal conductance(h)between Cu and diamond.The time-domain thermoreflectance measurements suggest that the introduction of Cr interlayer dramatically improves the h between Cu and diamond owing to the enhanced interfacial adhesion and bridged dissimilar phonon states between Cu and diamond.The h value exhibits a decreasing trend as the Cr interlayer becomes thicker because of the increase in thermal resistance of Cr interlayer.The high h values are observed for the Cr interlayer thicknesses below 21 nm since phononic transport channel dominates the thermal conduction in the ultrathin Cr layer.The findings provide a way to tune the thermal conduction across the metal/nonmetal heterogeneous interface,which plays a pivotal role in designing materials and devices for thermal management applications.

Novel Pt-Ni Bimetallic Catalysts Pt(Ni)-LaFeO_3/SiO_2 via Lattice Atomic-Confined Reduction for Highly Efficient Isobutane Dehydrogenation

In this study, a series of novel Pt-Ni bimetallic catalysts supported on LaFeO_3/SiO_2 with different amounts of Ni were prepared by the lattice atomic-confined reduction of LaFe_(1-x)(Ni, Pt)_xO_3/SiO_2 perovskite precursors and applied in isobutane dehydrogenation to isobutene reaction. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, H_2-temperature-programmed reduction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, CO chemisorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The as-synthesized Pt-Ni bimetallic catalysts possessed smaller most probable particle size with tunable Pt-Ni interaction, depending on the Ni content. The catalyst with Ni content of 3.0 wt% showed excellent activity and stability(the isobutane conversion and isobutene selectivity remained at about 38% and 92%, respectively, after 310 min) for the isobutane dehydrogenation reaction. It also provided approximately six times turnover frequency of the catalyst without Ni. The excellent activity and stability of the 3.0 wt% Ni-containing catalyst can be attributed to its small metal nanoparticles with high dispersion and suitable Pt-Ni interaction. Moreover, the Pt(Ni)-LaFeO_3/SiO_2 catalyst with Ni content of 3.0 wt% had been run for more than 35 h without obvious loss of activity,indicating its long-term stability, and the decrease in the Pt-Ni interaction that accompanied the formation of the FeNi alloy phase was thought to be responsible for the slight decrease in activity.

Comparison of the effects of pre-activators on morphology and corrosion resistance of phosphate conversion coating on magnesium alloy

In this study, Mg–6.0Zn–3.0Sn–0.5Mn(ZTM630) magnesium alloy was pre-activated by colloidal Ti, oxalic acid, and phosphoric acid,and a phosphate conversion coating(PCC) was prepared on the alloy surface. The morphology and corrosion resistance of the prepared PCCs were investigated. Surface morphology studies showed that the phosphate crystals that formed the coating were the smallest for the sample pre-activated by phosphoric acid. The coating on the colloidal Ti and the phosphoric acid samples had the largest and the smallest thickness and surface roughness, respectively. The reason for the discrepancy was analyzed by comparing the surface morphologies of alloy samples immediately after the pre-activation treatment and various phosphating treatments. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that all three PCCs contained the same compounds. The corrosion resistance time from the copper sulfate drop test and the electrochemical data from the potentiodynamic polarization curves showed that the coating pre-activated by phosphoric acid had the best corrosion resistance. Finally, the 1500 h neutral salt spray corrosion test confirmed that the phosphating treated magnesium alloy, which was pre-activated by phosphoric acid,exhibited excellent corrosion resistance and behavior.

Synthesis of Bi-doped TiO2 Nanotubes and Enhanced Photo-catalytic Activity for Hydrogen Evolution from Glycerol Solution

Bi-doped TiO2 nanotubes with variable Bi/Ti ratios were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment in 10 mol·L^-1 NaOH （aq.） through using Bi-doped TiO2 particles derived from conventional sol-gel method as starting materials. The effects of Bi content on the morphology, textural properties, photo absorption and photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanotubes were investigated. The scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） observations of the obtained samples revealed the formation of titanate nanotube structure doped with Bi, which exists as a higher oxidation state than Bi3＋. Bi-doping TiO2 nanotubes exhibited an extension of light absorption into the visible region and improved photocatalytic activities for hydrogen production from a glycerol/water mixed solution as compared with pure TiO2 nanotubes. There was an optimal Bi-doped content for the photocatalytic hydrogen production, and high content of Bi would retard the phase transition of titanate to anatase and result in morphology change from nanotube to nano- belt, which in turn decreases the photocatlytic activity for hydrogen evolution.

Reinforcement size effect on thermal conductivity in Cu-B/diamond composite

With the miniaturization and integration of microelectronic components,power density of electronic devices such as integrated circuits,light emitting diodes(LEDs),and semiconductor lasers increases dramatically[1].Traditional thermal management materials are difficult to maintain the safety and reliability of the highpower devices.

Microstructure,Mechanical Properties and In Vitro Degradation Behavior of a Novel Biodegradable Mg-1.5Zn-0.6Zr-0.2Sc Alloy

A novel Mg-1.5Zn-0.6Zr-0.2Sc （denoted as ZK21-0.2Sc） alloy was developed as potential biodegrad- able implant materials. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and in vitro degradation behavior of the as-cast ZK21-0.2Sc alloy were investigated and compared with ZK21 alloy and pure Mg. The ZK21 -0.2Sc alloy showed a single-phase structure with fine equiaxed grains. The alloy exhibited a good balance between strength and ductility. Both immersion tests and electrochemical tests showed that the ZK21-0.2Sc alloy had the lowest degradation rate in Hank＇s solution. The excellent degradation behavior of ZK21-0.2Sc alloy could be explained by the single-phase and fine grain structure, the more effective protection corrosion film, and the beneficial alloying effects of Zn, Zr and Sc.

Computational engineering of the oxygen electrode-electrolyte interface in solid oxide fuel cells

The Ce_(0.8)Gd_(0.2)O_(2)−δ(CGO)interlayer is commonly applied in solid oxide fuel cells(SOFCs)to prevent chemical reactions between the(La_(1−x)Sr_(x))(Co_(1−y)Fe_(y))O_(3−δ)(LSCF)oxygen electrode and the Y_(2)O_(3)-stabilized ZrO_(2)(YSZ)electrolyte.However,formation of the YSZ–CGO solid solution with low ionic conductivity and the SrZrO_(3)(SZO)insulating phase still happens during cell production and long-term operation,causing poor performance and degradation.Unlike many experimental investigations exploring these phenomena,consistent and quantitative computational modeling of the microstructure evolution at the oxygen electrode–electrolyte interface is scarce.We combine thermodynamic,1D kinetic,and 3D phase-field modeling to computationally reproduce the element redistribution,microstructure evolution,and corresponding ohmic loss of this interface.The influences of different ceramic processing techniques for the CGO interlayer,i.e.,screen printing and physical laser deposition(PLD),and of different processing and long-term operating parameters are explored,representing a successful case of quantitative computational engineering of the oxygen electrode–electrolyte interface in SOFCs.

Effect of grit blasting and subsequent heat treatment on stress rupture property of a Ni-based single-crystal superalloy SGX3

In the present study,the effect of grit blasting and subsequent heat treatment on the stress rupture properties of a thirdgeneration nickel-based single-crystal superalloy SGX3 sheet was studied.It was found that the stress rupture life of alloy SGX3 sheet at 980℃/250 MPa was reduced by about 60%by only vacuum heat treatment at 1100℃ for 200 h and further reduced by 20%and 70%respectively with grit blasting of 0.3 MPa/1 min and 0.5 MPa/2 min before heat treatment.The microstructure analysis results indicated that the degradation of stress rupture life of alloy SGX3 sheet by vacuum heat treatment was mainly attributed to the variation ofγ/γ′microstructure,i.e.,the decrease inγ′volume fraction and the coarsening ofγ′precipitates.Furthermore,such degradation by grit blasting and subsequent vacuum heat treatment should be attributed to the formation of cellular recrystallization with different thicknesses at the surface of alloy SGX3 sheet,which not only acts as the vulnerable site for cracks to initiate and propagate but also reduces the effective loading area.